old 80's ludwig kit......worth working on?

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so, i have an old ludwig kit that my folks bought me when i was 14 or so. it was originally a huge 11 piece, but i whittled it down to a 6. now i wanna get it down to a 4. it has this chrome wrap on it that looks like shit in some places. i was thinking of unwrapping it and sanding it down, then putting on a coat of lacquer or something.

i've never done anything more than general maintenance on drums. is this easy to do? would it look decent when finished? i don't even know what the shells are made of. at the time i didn't care, i just wanted something to play. the guy sold it really cheap, but i think he was just looking to clear the space for his new kit. i think i can get them sounding ok again with some new heads and some TLC. maybe replace a few lugs. just wondering if it would be worth the time and effort.

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i believe the badges are black. i'll double check at practice tomorrow (i'm currently using the 6 piece version as a practice kit).

they have sentimental value, for sure. i wouldn't be fixing them up to sell. i would keep it as a 4 piece kit. i know price really shouldn't matter if i'm keeping them, but it is a factor. i'd like a nice wood grain finish. don't know if that'd be possible or not.......

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Sanding down drums and staining them RARELY comes out as nice as you are picturing it... BUT... you have them wrapped in veneer, then have them stained to whatever shade you want... that usually comes out great!

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I believe that would put them in the "Accent" line. Beginner/Student-level drums. If it were me, I'd simply clean them up (keep the wrap on) and put some decent heads on them. For instance, coated Remo Ambassadors on tops, clear Ambassadors on the bottoms. Remo PowerStroke 3 on the batter side of the bass drum.

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Do the b/w badges have the "U.S.A." next to the Ludwig name? If they do, you have an 80's Rockers set that was possibly made in Chicago. Do they have the Rockers style lugs or the Classic style? Ludwig used the Classic lugs on the early Rockers before swithcing to the Rocker/Standard style. I have a black 80's Rockers set with the Classic lugs and it sounds great. If you choose to rewrap them, the wrap alone will cost close what the drums are worth, around $250, so keep that in mind. The wrap was thinner/lesser quality than the high end Ludwigs of the day and was only attached with tape at the seam, so removing it would be very easy. I wouldn't try staining them though, the 4 ply Poplar shells just aren't good enough quality to take a stain very well, wrapping them would be the best option. Do they have the gray speckled interior or the clear interior? The clear interior versions date from the late 80's and have a maple inner ply making them a little more valuable. Later Rockers are made in Taiwan and have little value but the U.S. made drums are actually very nice and sound very good.

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thanks for the info! still haven't made a decision yet, but i'm leaning towards really cleaning them up instead. not sure if they're US or not, will find out tonight. the interior shell is clear, so that's a plus. not sure on the lugs. just new heads would do wonders for it. they haven't been changed in a LONG time. i'll do a full inspection tonight and decide by tomorrow. thanks guys!

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Check your edges too, make sure there's no huge dents or anything. I would say re-wrap them. Have fun with them, If your keeping them make them look killer. Cost shouldn't be a factor in something your keeping and playing.